How do they steer?
Balloons travel with the wind. They go same speed and direction of the wind at the altitude they are at. Balloons change direction by changing altitudes. Some days have more directions to choose from than others. We normally don’t land where we launched. We usually opt for a large open spot to land. The balloon crew follows the balloon with the balloon recovery vehicle. They pack the balloon up where it lands and drive it back.
Is it normal if a balloon lands in my neighborhood?
Because hot air balloons are unfamiliar to many people, someone often calls 911 when they see one. This usually happens when they notice the flame or see a balloon landing in a neighborhood or another area away from an airport. Balloons rarely launch or land at airports, so there is no need to call 911 if you see one using its burner or landing near your home. Each balloon has a chase team that follows it and picks it up at the end of the flight. The team stays in communication with the balloon throughout the flight.
How High do they fly?
Hot air balloons normally fly within the first 5,000 ft above the ground. Balloons can actually fly much higher than most aircraft. Balloons have flown people to over 130,000 ft.
How large are they?
Balloons are measured by their volume. Balloons that carry people can range from 25,000 cu.ft. to 750,000 cu.ft. The largest balloons are over 130 ft tall. Special shaped balloons have been built to nearly 200 ft tall.
What does a balloon cost?
Think of like buying a Pickup truck. New they can range from $50,000 to $90,000. Used systems can range from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on age, condition and what accessories are included (inflator fan, radios, rain covers, trailer, etc.)
How Fast do they fly?
The same speed as the wind at the altitude they are flying
Do you have to have a pilots license?
Yes, Balloons are FAA licensed aircraft and require an FAA Pilot’s Certificate to fly them.
How much does a balloon cost?
It's similar to buying a pick up truck. You can get a new balloon (or truck) for $50,000 - $90,000 depending on the options. You can find a used balloon (or truck) for $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the age and condition.
What are the numbers on the side of a balloon mean?
The numbers are our registration numbers. Much like the licence plate on your car. Balloon registered in the US have a registration number that starts with the letter N.
What type of fuel do balloons use?
Propane. We burn liquid propane. Gas grills and heaters use propane vapor to burn which explains the difference in the size of the flame.
Where are the sandbags on the basket?
Hot air balloons do not use sandbags. They change altitude by adjusting the temperature inside the balloon. Gas balloons use sandbags as ballast. Gas balloons let off a little sand to go up and vent off the helium or hydrogen to descend.
What is a Gas Balloon?
Gas balloons use helium or hydrogen as their lifting gas rather than hot air. Gasp balloons are typically smaller than hot air balloons and carry sandbags around their basket. A typical hot air balloon flight lasts about an hour whereas a gas balloon flight can go three to five days nonstop.
How far do you fly on an average flight?
We like to fly when the winds are light on the surface. The average flight is 3-10 miles and lasts about an hour.
Where do you land a balloon?
Balloons rarely land where they took off. Pilots do extensive flight planning long before they show up to fly. Pilots pick their launch sites based on the wind direction and available landing spots. Balloons will often land in farm fields, large yards, and parking lots.
How do balloons compete at balloon festivals?
Balloon competition is fascinating to watch. Pilots are given markers which are a small sandbags with a streamer attached. They are issued a task or series of tasks to complete. Tasks are targets marked on the ground, or sometimes in the air using a GPS to mark your location. Pilots fly their balloons using different wind directions at different altitudes to get to the assigned targets. When they get to the targets they throw their marker towards the center of the target. Closest to the center scores the highest. There are dozens of different tasks that can be done. Some have the pilots pick a launch site some distance from a target and fly back to the target. Some tasks have the balloons follow a lead balloon which carries a target. The lead balloon would land and spread out the target and the other balloons would need to follow its path to throw their markers.
How many people can fly in a balloon?
Balloons can range in size from one person to 33 people.
How long do balloons last?
Balloon Envelopes (the fabric part) can last 500-600 hours or even more if treated properly. Baskets can last for many decades.
Why don’t balloons fly in the middle of the day?
During the middle of the day the sun heats up the air and it produces thermals which are rising columns of air. Thermals are unpredictable on when and where they form. Gliders are aircraft that take advantage of these thermals for their lift. Balloons fly best when done in the first or last two hours of the day when the sun is not heating the earth and causing thermals.
How powerful are the burners?
Balloon burners are rated around 40 million BTU's. That's equal to 400 house furnaces, 1000 gas grills, or nearly 16,000 horsepower. The flames from balloon burners are about 20 feet long and 3500°.
What does the balloon crew do?
Ballooning is a team sport. Most people notice the pilot in the basket but balloons have a ground crew that helps in the set up and pack up of the balloon and follow the balloon in the chase truck during the flight. Crewing for balloons can be just as much fun as flying in them.
What are the balloons made of?
Most balloons are made of ripstop nylon. Some are made of polyester. The fabric is built about 100 times stronger then it experiences during flight. Every year, or 100 hours of flight time, balloons must be inspected by an FAA certified repair station.
What is a balloon flight like?
Flying in a balloon is unlike any other experience. While you are in the air there is no wind in the basket, no turbulence, no feeling of going up or down. My best description is that the earth drops away from the balloon, passes by underneath the basket, comes back and greets the basket at the end of the flight.
What instrumentation does a balloon have?
Balloons are required to have three main instruments. In altimeter, a vertical speed indicator, add a pyrometer. The altimeter measures our height, the vertical speed indicator measures how fast we are ascending or descending, and the pyrometer measures the temperature at the top of the balloon. Many balloons these days carry GPS that can measure their speed and location.
How hot is it inside a balloon?
Balloons can handle temperatures up to 250 Fahrenheit.
How can I get more involved?
The best way to get involved it to become a crew member for a balloon. Volunteer as Crew at a balloon Festival. Check out our listing of balloon festivals on our Balloon Festival listing page. You can also check out our national organization the Balloon Federation of America.
Balloons travel with the wind. They go same speed and direction of the wind at the altitude they are at. Balloons change direction by changing altitudes. Some days have more directions to choose from than others. We normally don’t land where we launched. We usually opt for a large open spot to land. The balloon crew follows the balloon with the balloon recovery vehicle. They pack the balloon up where it lands and drive it back.
Is it normal if a balloon lands in my neighborhood?
Because hot air balloons are unfamiliar to many people, someone often calls 911 when they see one. This usually happens when they notice the flame or see a balloon landing in a neighborhood or another area away from an airport. Balloons rarely launch or land at airports, so there is no need to call 911 if you see one using its burner or landing near your home. Each balloon has a chase team that follows it and picks it up at the end of the flight. The team stays in communication with the balloon throughout the flight.
How High do they fly?
Hot air balloons normally fly within the first 5,000 ft above the ground. Balloons can actually fly much higher than most aircraft. Balloons have flown people to over 130,000 ft.
How large are they?
Balloons are measured by their volume. Balloons that carry people can range from 25,000 cu.ft. to 750,000 cu.ft. The largest balloons are over 130 ft tall. Special shaped balloons have been built to nearly 200 ft tall.
What does a balloon cost?
Think of like buying a Pickup truck. New they can range from $50,000 to $90,000. Used systems can range from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on age, condition and what accessories are included (inflator fan, radios, rain covers, trailer, etc.)
How Fast do they fly?
The same speed as the wind at the altitude they are flying
Do you have to have a pilots license?
Yes, Balloons are FAA licensed aircraft and require an FAA Pilot’s Certificate to fly them.
How much does a balloon cost?
It's similar to buying a pick up truck. You can get a new balloon (or truck) for $50,000 - $90,000 depending on the options. You can find a used balloon (or truck) for $10,000 to $50,000 depending on the age and condition.
What are the numbers on the side of a balloon mean?
The numbers are our registration numbers. Much like the licence plate on your car. Balloon registered in the US have a registration number that starts with the letter N.
What type of fuel do balloons use?
Propane. We burn liquid propane. Gas grills and heaters use propane vapor to burn which explains the difference in the size of the flame.
Where are the sandbags on the basket?
Hot air balloons do not use sandbags. They change altitude by adjusting the temperature inside the balloon. Gas balloons use sandbags as ballast. Gas balloons let off a little sand to go up and vent off the helium or hydrogen to descend.
What is a Gas Balloon?
Gas balloons use helium or hydrogen as their lifting gas rather than hot air. Gasp balloons are typically smaller than hot air balloons and carry sandbags around their basket. A typical hot air balloon flight lasts about an hour whereas a gas balloon flight can go three to five days nonstop.
How far do you fly on an average flight?
We like to fly when the winds are light on the surface. The average flight is 3-10 miles and lasts about an hour.
Where do you land a balloon?
Balloons rarely land where they took off. Pilots do extensive flight planning long before they show up to fly. Pilots pick their launch sites based on the wind direction and available landing spots. Balloons will often land in farm fields, large yards, and parking lots.
How do balloons compete at balloon festivals?
Balloon competition is fascinating to watch. Pilots are given markers which are a small sandbags with a streamer attached. They are issued a task or series of tasks to complete. Tasks are targets marked on the ground, or sometimes in the air using a GPS to mark your location. Pilots fly their balloons using different wind directions at different altitudes to get to the assigned targets. When they get to the targets they throw their marker towards the center of the target. Closest to the center scores the highest. There are dozens of different tasks that can be done. Some have the pilots pick a launch site some distance from a target and fly back to the target. Some tasks have the balloons follow a lead balloon which carries a target. The lead balloon would land and spread out the target and the other balloons would need to follow its path to throw their markers.
How many people can fly in a balloon?
Balloons can range in size from one person to 33 people.
How long do balloons last?
Balloon Envelopes (the fabric part) can last 500-600 hours or even more if treated properly. Baskets can last for many decades.
Why don’t balloons fly in the middle of the day?
During the middle of the day the sun heats up the air and it produces thermals which are rising columns of air. Thermals are unpredictable on when and where they form. Gliders are aircraft that take advantage of these thermals for their lift. Balloons fly best when done in the first or last two hours of the day when the sun is not heating the earth and causing thermals.
How powerful are the burners?
Balloon burners are rated around 40 million BTU's. That's equal to 400 house furnaces, 1000 gas grills, or nearly 16,000 horsepower. The flames from balloon burners are about 20 feet long and 3500°.
What does the balloon crew do?
Ballooning is a team sport. Most people notice the pilot in the basket but balloons have a ground crew that helps in the set up and pack up of the balloon and follow the balloon in the chase truck during the flight. Crewing for balloons can be just as much fun as flying in them.
What are the balloons made of?
Most balloons are made of ripstop nylon. Some are made of polyester. The fabric is built about 100 times stronger then it experiences during flight. Every year, or 100 hours of flight time, balloons must be inspected by an FAA certified repair station.
What is a balloon flight like?
Flying in a balloon is unlike any other experience. While you are in the air there is no wind in the basket, no turbulence, no feeling of going up or down. My best description is that the earth drops away from the balloon, passes by underneath the basket, comes back and greets the basket at the end of the flight.
What instrumentation does a balloon have?
Balloons are required to have three main instruments. In altimeter, a vertical speed indicator, add a pyrometer. The altimeter measures our height, the vertical speed indicator measures how fast we are ascending or descending, and the pyrometer measures the temperature at the top of the balloon. Many balloons these days carry GPS that can measure their speed and location.
How hot is it inside a balloon?
Balloons can handle temperatures up to 250 Fahrenheit.
How can I get more involved?
The best way to get involved it to become a crew member for a balloon. Volunteer as Crew at a balloon Festival. Check out our listing of balloon festivals on our Balloon Festival listing page. You can also check out our national organization the Balloon Federation of America.